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Hopes for the Police Ministry

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Dear Editor,

It has only been a few days since P.M. Tuilaepa’s return home and common sense begins to emerge from Cabinet’s decisions. I applaud the decision by the P.M. to take ultimate stewardship of the Ministry of Police for vital reasons. The former Minister of Police Sala Pinati was basically helpless to do anything to genuinely address the underlying issues of the Ministry because he appears to have lost all impartiality and has sided with the troublemakers who are attempting to oust Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon.

It is well known in Police circles that the former Police minister has his own favourites, including relatives such as an Acting Commissioner in the ministry who leap at his beck and call without regard for whether an action is professionally, morally or legally proper.

It is no secret there have been poor performance and misconduct concerns in past years with the current Acting Commissioner but nothing had been done about them given his powerful guardian angel who is sitting in Cabinet and was watching over the ministry.

Speaking of lack of action instituted against improper behaving and poor performing Assistant or Acting Commissioners, there are many in the know who are amazed at the slipperiness of an Assistant Commissioner who manages to keep escaping accountability for his various misdeeds, inaction, bad judgment calls and general scheming and conniving ways that has led to major leadership disruptions in the ministry over the years. His chief motive of course, as correctly identified by one former Assistant Commissioner and now M.P., is that he thinks he should be the Police Commissioner.

This is a man who was reported recently as having had inappropriate sexual relations with a female police officer at the venue of what was a police women staff retreat, after he had given the keynote address on the night of the closing ceremony in the role of Acting Police Commissioner.

Interesting “duty of care” shown by this employer towards a staff member whose welfare was under his watch at the time is all I can say.

Why this character is still holding an executive role and prancing around the ministry and town is a great mystery to anyone who understands a fundamental law of the universe - that actions have reactions, repercussions and consequences.

I understand that the P.M. had highlighted to Police ministry staff in a meeting very recently that police officers in senior and executive roles who think that they can behave badly and still hold the respect of lower ranked officers and the rest of the staff are essentially dreaming. The reality is that they hold no respect.

Well said PM!

So now that the Minister for Police has been changed for the better, the Assistant Commissioner who signed off on Commissioner Fuiava’s arrest has been rightly suspended, and a Commission of Inquiry is about to be launched into the origin of these events, the next step is to bring out the hooligans who planned and led the improper arrest of Commissioner Fuiava and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

There is a character floating around the ministry who is said to have led the arrest who is apparently very resistant and disrespectful of authority.

This is a long time police officer who feels entitled to power without having really earned it.

He does not understand that without possessing good character, and really knowing God’s essence, he will never taste true power and authority. I really pray that the Commission of Inquiry will weed out and extinguish characters like this person who currently exists in Ministry of Police. It is the only sure way to wholly cleanse what is in effect a ministry with endless improvement potential, of what is rotten and is holding this ministry and its many good staff back from elevating the ministry to high professionalism and achieving excellence in all its functions and services.

I pray too for Commissioner Fuiava and his family.

Let us await the Court’s decision on these ridiculous dreamt-up charges.

And to the P.M. and Cabinet - should the Courts, and ultimately God, enable the return of Commissioner Fuiava to lead the Ministry of Police, I also pray that you will all do the right thing by him or someone new who comes into the ministry to lift its calibre and performance, and do the right and brave thing, and support him or her all the way.

Soifua

O le Samoa moni

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